The present invention relates generally to imaging of biological/chemical samples, and more particularly to calibrating an imaging system to focus on the samples.
Biological and chemical samples may be imaged for any number of reasons. For example, the images may be used to identify a certain cell structure, ranging from malignant tumors to specific chromosomes in a DNA sequence. Typically, gels and blots containing, e.g., polyacrylamide or agarose, are used to hold the molecules of a sample. The sample may be marked with fluorescent dyes that can help in the identification and/or characterization of the molecules in the image, which can include a location of a molecule. For example, a sample may be organized into different sections based on properties of the molecules in the sample, e.g., as a result of electrophoresis. Thus, a location of the specific molecule and the color and intensity of light that a molecule reflects or emits can be used in the identification and characterization of a sample. However, it is often difficult to obtain a good image of a sample, which can reduce the accuracy of measurements and characterization of the molecules.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide new methods and systems that allow for accurate imaging and that are relatively easy to implement.